Jaspersoft Report Server Installation

[Mark Crichton]

Hi All

I am wanting to install Jaspersoft Report Server for running and scheduling reports.
Does anyone else recommend it or is there other better options?

Ques 1 - When Installing it asks if want to use existing PostgreSql database? Should I say yes or no?
Ques 2 - When Installing it asks if want to use existing Tomcat web service? Should I say yes or no?

[Thomas Parry]

Are you sure you do not want to use the Servoy JasperReport plugin instead of the JasperSoft server?
Another option is to use Velocity reports.
The basic question is whether or not you want to embed a report from inside Servoy or have a stand alone capability?

[Mark Crichton]

Hi Thomas

Thanks for your response
I already use the plugin to generate "invoices" and "standard" reports directly form Servoy application. I need to have a mechanism for different customised reports for different users in a way they can be easily added, modified and run without creating a new build.

Still to try Velocity reports.

[Thomas Parry]

Hi Mark,
I would be interested in knowing if your users have the skills to actually learn how to customize reports using a report generator like JasperSoft. My experience has been that a few "customized" reports can be made with very few parameters that are prompted for the user to fill in (from Servoy code) and then passed to the report.

Let us know your progress and experience.

[Mark Crichton]

Hi Tom

Agree that very few users ever do their own reports. The important point is providing an easy way to do reports for users without having to do a new Servoy build every time they want a different layout or parameter added. I either have to build a data driven Servoy Module to handle reports via a database ( lots of work) or use the Jaspersoft Server. I would expect there must be lots of Servoyers who have tried installing Jaspersoft Server and found it useful?

[lwjwillemsen]

Hi,

We very often need some business logic settings associated with a report. We put that info in a glb_report table.
Such a table is almost inevitable when you need user security on the running of reports.

It's a kind of logic in our opinion to put the report file in the glb_report record...

[Mark Crichton]

Hi Lambert

Good comment. I of course realise that Jaspersoft will also require different "access to the computer", so probably best to write a Servoy "Report Module" to handle reporting. Maybe if others are interested it could be a ServoyForge project? Anyone interested?

[ptalbot]

With VelocityReport it's quite easy to build a report manager.

I've built one with one of my clients and we've created templates which are very dynamic (users can choose what colums they want to include, whether they want subsummaries and whatnot).

Here's a capture of the layout configuration:

Report layout management

ReportLayout.png (150.3 KiB) Viewed 9092 times

And here the report's layout in use (with filtering/search before producing):

Report layout in use

ReportUse.png (125.01 KiB) Viewed 9092 times

Once again, I would like to stress out how much easier/more flexible VelocityReport is when it comes to build dynamic reports.
The underlying technology being HTML and Velocity, creating report with maximum flexibility is not much more complex than writing if/else scripts.

You really seriously should give it a try before going to JasperServer. It's free, Open Source and Servoy Aware!

[Mark Crichton]

Hi Patrick

Thanks for your response. Have checked out the forge and had a brief look at what involved.
Will give it a go.

Couple of questions.
1. Can calculations be easily done in the report engine . I do financial reports involving margins etc. Would I have to do do sgl select to get data correctly?
2. Would you be prepared to sell/share the code for your examples below to help me get up to speed quickly?

[Hans Nieuwenhuis]

+1

[ptalbot]

There many ways you can do calculations:
- using SQL,
- using Servoy's calculations,
- using Servoy JavaScript while filling your context object,
- in the template itself, using the $math object and standard computations on variables.

I cannot sell/share the code of that layout manager as it's part of my client's app, but I can help you build your own.
It's not that complicated, really!
Just send me a PM and I can arrange some sessions of training/help if you're interested.